South Sudan mulls power import from Uganda

South Sudan is considering importing electricity from Uganda's Karuma hydropower dam that will be completed soon, minister for energy and dams, Dhieu Madhok announced on Friday.

"We are considering importing 400 megawatts of electricity from Uganda's Karuma dam. This is a short-term measure as we hasten completion of mega hydro-power projects to bridge energy shortfalls in the country," Madhok told Xinhua.

He revealed that currently South Sudan depends on generators that produce 12 megawatts of power.

"Power outages have been the norm even in the capital Juba, and we spend colossal amount of money to service generators that provide electricity to the city," said Madhok.

He disclosed the African Development Bank (AfDB) has extended a grant totaling 33 million U.S. dollars to help South Sudan expand access to cleaner energy sources.

International donors have pledged new financial support to help South Sudan rebuild its transport and energy infrastructure that was destroyed during the country's civil strife, which erupted in December 2013.

Madhok said the unity government in Juba has prioritized creation of friendly policies and regulations to facilitate foreign direct investments in the energy sector.